Are you done talking to your wolf?”

Jumping at the sound of her voice, I begged, “Please tell me you can’t listen in on other people’s wolf conversations?”

She pulled a white butcher wrapped package from the fridge along with a large covered green bowl, “No but your lips move when you speak to your wolf. I could hear them brushing against each other.”

Panicked, I slapped a hand to my mouth and murmured, “Seriously?”

Kai placed the items on the counter before going to the cabinets, “Yea, you whisper softly too.”

Practically going into cardiac arrest, I squeaked out, “I do?"

Setting the pans on the counter, she looked up at me with a small smile, “No. But I’d kill to know what you guys were talking about.”

Relief flooded through my entire body, oh thank Moon! If she had heard my inner conversation with Slader? I shivered at the possibilities of an injury by her hand. Glancing down to the containers Kai had taken out of the fridge, I realized the items were a rack of deer ribs and a bowl of potatoes.

Eager to keep the conversation going since she seemed to be in a somewhat playful mood, I asked, “What are you making?”

She tilted her head and gestured to the items. Right, real smart Ryan.

“Do you know how to cook ribs?” I questioned innocently. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her eat cooked meat around others.

“No, but it’s meat. Meats all the same. The potatoes I know how.” She answered as she started to unwrap the ribs.

Offended, I quickly stood up and pulled the ribs across the counter to me, “Excuse me, woman? Meat is all the same? What are you using for seasoning?”

Her brows furrowed, “Nothing. It has natural flavors.”

“I can’t let you cook these,” I said ghastly.

“Then what am I supposed to eat?” She practically snarled at me.

I smiled at her gorgeous face, “I said you couldn’t cook them. But I can.”

Kai’s expression went from annoyed to carefully blank in the span of my sentence. Her red eyes felt like they were piercing straight through my own and into my soul. Weary that I had somehow said the wrong thing, my smile slowly slipped from my face. Why was she staring at me like that? What’d I say? And more importantly, please don’t let there be anything on my face.

“You’d...do that?” She asked, “You’d provide for me?”

Understanding dawned on me. Speaking sincerely, I responded, “Of course, I would. I want to be your mate, Kai. Providing for you is one of the many things I’d love to do. Even if for now it’s just cooking up the best ribs you’ve ever had.”

That last part got me a short lived smile. Pulling open a drawer, she took out a knife and began to chop the red potatoes, “What do you think of me?”

Taking a moment for myself, I followed her lead and finished unwrapping the ribs. What do you think of me? If Kai was any other woman I’d think it was a trick question but I knew with her, she just wanted my honest opinion. But still after everything that’s happened between us since she came back? I’m surprised she needed to ask. Taking out a flat baking pan to prep the ribs on, I snagged the spice rack on my way back around the counter.

“Kai...you know how I feel about you.” I murmured to her as I placed the ribs on the non-stick pan.

The sound of her slices became louder, “Not about that. How do you feel about me being...me? A Feral Born.”

Stopping, I looked at her with renewed suspicions, “Why? Since when do you care what people think about you?”

“I don’t. It was just a question, forget I asked.” She said.

I carefully watched her expression, “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. It’s stupid.” Kaiya snapped.

"Hey. Don’t do that,” I snapped back at her. “I won’t let anyone talk about you that way. Including you.”

We stared each other down before lapsing into silence as we both prepared our dishes. But her question kept digging at me, “Is this because of what the shooter said?”

Instead of answering, she kept silent and poured her cut potatoes back into the bowl.

I sighed, brushing some sauce over the rack, “Kai, he’s an ignorant man that’s probably never even spoken to a Feral Born. What he says shouldn’t matter.”

Still not giving me a response, Kai pulled out another baking sheet and spread the potatoes out on it. Walking over with my own tray in hand, I placed the tray on the stove and turned the oven on. As I waited for the oven to heat up, I thought fuck it.

Please don’t rip out my throat, Please don’t rip out my throat, I chanted. Moving forward, I gently turned Kaiya around and caged her in against the island. A naturally arched brow raised while her eyes narrowed in on me.

“You are not some mindless killing machine. You’re an asset to this pack and anyone who thinks differently can go screw themselves.” I told her harshly, “You and your kind are not abominations.”

“So you’re not bothered that in my free time I like to kill things?”

I chuffed in amusement, “No, I like to hunt too.”

“Or that my eyes are red?”

“Nope.”

In a blink of an eye, she had our positions reversed, “What about the fact that I’m stronger than you?”

Swallowing thickly, I peered down at her through hooded lids, “Nah, I, uh, kinda like that one.”

Red eyes flashed, “Not even that I can smell your arousal?”

“Embarrassing but surprisingly still no,” I released on a shaky exhale.

Her eyes flickered back and forth across my face like she was having an internal battle of some sort. Not wanting to scare her off, I waited patiently for her to work through whatever she was going through. Determination steeled her gaze before she started tilting her head up and closer to mine pain sakingly slow. Slader howled in excitement inside my head. Oh, moon this is it. It’s finally happening, Ryan. Don’t fuck it up.

But instead of doing what I thought she was going to do, she asked, “If you had the chance, would you strip me of my abilities? To make me like you a shifter like you? Remember I can smell it if you lie.”

All the lust I had just felt moments before drained from my body to be replaced with alarm. “How could you even ask me that? I’d rather die than do that to you. Which is impossible anyways, Kai. Your abilities can’t be taken from you, you were born with them.”

Watching her with sharp eyes, she looked me over with something different shining in hers. Kai inched her head closer, lightly pressed her forehead to my chin, “You’re a male full of words but I’m starting to think your words might mean more than just pretty illusions.” During her sentence, she moved her head to rub her nose against my jawline. Then with one last tap against my chin, she moved away.

Suddenly, she was sliding the potatoes in the oven like she didn’t just give me a common sign of affection for wolves. Confused and concerned beyond all reason, I went to ask her what in the hell was going on when a male came tumbling through the doorway. Instantly, frustrated aggression overcame my body at the interruption.

“Kai, Ryan. What are you guys making? Ooooo ribs and potatoes? You mind making me a plate when it’s done? Haven’t had venison in awhile, looks good!” Theo exclaimed.

“No. You talk too much.” Was Kai’s short reply. And it might be petty but I felt extremely smug at the fact that she was finally telling someone else besides me that.

Unfortunately, I was too angry at his interruption to give the kid a break, “You heard her. Fuck. Off.”

Shocked, the boy looked at me, “Woah. Take it easy, there’s enough food to go around.”

He interrupted the first real intimate moment me and Kai have ever had, to ask us for food? Oh, fuck no.

Kill male! Kill rival! Slader snarled viciously.

"Leave, pup. Before I make you.” I snarled, lifting my upper lip to flash a fang.

“Dude, are you serious right now? I just wanted some food.”

“Starve.”

Theo looked over at Kai, “Can you tell lover b-”

“No.”

The boy sputtered as he looked between us. In response, I allowed Slader to push out just enough to make my eyes swirl and then Theo was quickly tumbling right back out the door.

A small chuckle broke the silence Theo left in his wake. Turning, I watched Kai put the ribs in the oven. Slamming the door shut, she turned to face me still chuckling softly, “I didn’t know you got mad.”

Retracting my fangs, I ignored the taunt, “What’s going on, Kai? Are you okay?”

She dismissively waved a hand, “I’m fine. Just needed some clarity on something.”

About if I thought she deserved to die? “Kai, you know you can tell me anything right? You can trust me.” It was important for her to know that. Call it paranoia but I knew she was hiding something from me. Something serious.

“I know that now but I have nothing to tell you at the moment besides that I ...am ...beginning to enjoy your presence.” She said, looking like she was in physical pain by the end of her sentence.

Now I was the one sputtering, “You-you like me? You actually like me? Holy shit, I’m dreaming. Fuck, I am aren’t I? Everything makes so much sense now. Literally, of course this happens to me. Why, Ryan! Why do you do this to-”

“You’re not dreaming.”

I squinted at her, “I’m not?” She shook her head. “Then that means you just said you like me?”

"No, I said I enjoy your presence as in you no longer annoy me. Not the same thing.”

Ignoring what she just said, I started singing, “You like me, you like me, you like me, you lik-Good moon, woman!"

The handle of the knife vibrated from the force used to sink it at least three inches deep into the steel fridge door. Eyes wide, I looked between the knife that was a few mere inches from my own head to the calm face of my mate-to-be.

“What?” She replied, looking right back at me with no remorse. “You were being absurd and I knew I wouldn’t hit you.”

And as I stood there staring back at her in shock, damn it all to hell if I didn’t just fall in love with her a little more. If I wasn’t a shifter I’d be very concerned about my mental health.

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My little babies are growing closer!!! I feel like a proud parent! Lmao. Ryan’s such an optimistic when it comes to Kai that he’s literally ignoring her actual words. This chapters a bit longer because honestly I had too much fun making it.

Please like or comment if you enjoyed this chapter! Or if you prefer being a silent reader that’s cool too!

Smooches, Verbage 💋